Effect of contact deformation on flow factors

摘要

In a recent paper (Peeken et al., 1996), algorithms for the numerical generation of general random roughness patterns andfor the determination of flow factors (the principal components of the flow tensors) were proposed and the validity of the chosen approach was shown by comparison with analytical solutions. The contact treatment in that study was confined to anelimination of contacting (overlapping) elements from the lubrication domain.In this study we complement effects of solid-to-solid contact deformation on the flow factors and thus extend the model further to the mixed lubrication regime. Under the assumption that solid-to-solid contact pressures will dominate, the deformation dueto the hydrodynamic pressure distribution in the rough micro bearing is neglected, leaving the flow factor charts independent of the absolute level of hydrodynamic pressures and of the surface velocities. The deformation caused by hydrodynamic pressuremay be considered in the subsequent EHD solution of the modified Reynolds equation using the flow tensor graphs.